TEMECULA: Dealership inks deal to sell Subarus

A car manufacturer with a passionate fan base that includes folks who pack granola for road trips and guys who own all the “Fast and Furious” flicks is coming to Temecula.

The John Hine Mazda dealership on Ynez Road recently filed legal paperwork to start selling Subarus, which are made by Japan’s Fuji Heavy Industries in a partnership with Toyota.

City officials said Hine Mazda is working to add a 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot showroom at its existing dealership. Plans could be submitted by the end of the year and, if everything is approved, the new dealership could open in late 2013.

Members of the City Council are hoping that the addition of Subaru models will help boost the city’s sales tax revenue, which is heavily influenced by car sales.

“I think it’s a good fit for Temecula,” said Mayor Chuck Washington, who added that the demographics of the area should work for the Subaru brand.

The manufacturer is known for its Outback, a wagon that is hugely popular in the Pacific Northwest, and the Impreza, a sports car that sometimes can be spotted with a huge spoiler in the back.

One of Subaru’s hooks is customization. Many owners of Imprezas choose wild, clashing hues for their rims and sometimes select exotic spoilers, including a large square model that is a signature.

Bill Brumbaugh, general manager of Hine Mazda, said Subaru conducts a lot of research before entering a market, looking at both the customer satisfaction surveys of a dealership and the area’s demographics.

To come out on the other end of that process with a deal in place is “very exciting,” he said.

Brumbaugh said much work remains to be done before the first car is sold. But he added that the expanded dealership could be up and running, selling all of Subaru’s models, by the middle of next year.

Right now, according to Subaru’s website, the closest Subaru dealership to Temecula is in Carlsbad.

Washington, a member of the city’s luxury car dealership subcommittee, said the city also is working to bring a Mercedes dealership to town, specifically to land northwest of Ynez and Winchester roads.

Those plans have been on the books for years, but the recent economic downturn caused the investment team bringing the project forward to postpone their plans.

Councilman Mike Naggar said the Subaru deal will help make the auto mall an even stronger asset for the city.

“We welcome them with open arms,” he said.

Car sales have been strong in recent quarters, and Naggar noted that a vehicle is a big-ticket item that generates a lot of sales tax.

“(That money) then gets put back into parks, services and road improvements, and everything we like about Temecula,” he said.